


The Way We Are

by Idhren15



Series: Ace Week 2019 [4]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Aro-Aces Are Awesome And Valid, Aromantic, Asexual Awareness Week, Asexual Character, Asexuality, Discussions of Past Trauma, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Post canon, Valinor, aceweek2019, aromantic asexual frodo, aromantic asexual maedhros, asexual frodo, asexual maedhros, but it's not heavy, this is kinda just
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-10-27 13:31:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20761160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idhren15/pseuds/Idhren15
Summary: "I don't feel... love, exactly. I know that's not normal, to have no feelings like that, but I never did. Perhaps it's another curse of the Ring?"Maedhros meets Frodo in Valinor, and has something important to discuss.Written for day 4 of Ace Week 2019!





	The Way We Are

**Author's Note:**

> Maedhros is honestly my favourite elf and idk why I don't write him more? Probably because I feel I can't do him justice XP  
Anyway, I've tried here! 
> 
> This is set post canon, because in my head Maedhros and his family don't stay in the Halls forever, they get to go back to living in Valinor. So naturally, him and Frodo would cross paths. 
> 
> Also, I broship Maedhros & Fingon so. Hard. XD 
> 
> This is a pretty short oneshot but hope you like!

Maedhros wandered through the gardens of Valinor, pausing when he noticed a much smaller figure sitting on a bench and watching Fingon engage in an animated conversation with another small figure.

_ The hobbits,_ he realised, taking a few steps closer. It was soon evident that his cousin and the elderly hobbit were talking about their wives, and children - only one for Fingon, but _thirteen_ for the hobbit. Maedhros shook his head in disbelief, about to move along when a heavy sigh from the first hobbit made him pause once more. The hobbit - _Frodo_, his mind supplied - had his gaze locked on the two fathers, something akin to hurt in his eyes. Hesitantly, Maedhros crossed over to him, crouching slightly before he spoke.

"May I sit there?"

Frodo startled but nodded. "Of course," he said, then turned away, staring at the others once more.

Maedhros let their silence drag out until it crossed from _comfortable_ into _awkward_.

"You're the ring-bearer, right?" he asked, as a way of breaching the silence.

Frodo nodded. "Yes, I was. Though most people know that." He turned to take a proper look at the elf then, his brow furrowing. "I've seen you around before, but not much."

"I have not long returned from the Halls of Mandos," Maedhros explained.

"Oh," Frodo commented, "Uh, when did you-?"

"The end of the First Age."

The hobbit frowned, and Maedhros knew the question that would come next- _why were you stuck in the Halls for so long?_ \- so he braced himself for it. To his surprise, Frodo didn't ask, only staring back at Fingon and- _Samwise_, he remembered the other hobbit's name now.

"Sometimes I wish I had what they did," Frodo said instead, changing the subject and inclining his head towards the two.

Maedhros raised an eyebrow, confused.

"It's never bothered me before, but..." the hobbit's eyes drew ever distant, "I'm old, and I never had a family of my own. The Ring stopped me from that."

"What do you mean?" the elf asked.

"I don't feel... love, exactly. I know that's not normal, to have no feelings like that, but I never did. Perhaps it's another curse of the Ring?"

Maedhros couldn't help his sharp intake of breath. "That...it's not the Ring, Frodo!" he exclaimed.

The hobbit turned his full attention to him. "What, so I was broken even before the Ring?"

"No! Listen, Frodo... You're not broken, for not feeling any romantic feelings. And it wasn't the Ring that made you that way; you've always been like that," Maedhros started to explain.

Frodo just shook his head, frowning even more. "You can't say that, you don't understand-"

"No, I _do_ understand," the elf interjected, "I've never been attracted to anyone. Romance is something I just don't experience. And I know it's not because of what Morgoth did to me. I felt that way, long before Thangorodrim. It's the same way I know that Sauron, that the Ring, did _not_ break you. You're not broken, you just don't feel that way, and that's completely fine. You're not the only one."

Frodo's eyes widened. "It... so it... it's normal?"

Maedhros smiled, "Not completely normal; I've only met one other elf who felt the same as me. But it's natural, if you want to put it that way."

Frodo stared at Fingon and Samwise again, something different in his eyes. "All this time," he murmured, "I thought the Ring had taken away my ability to love."

"You don't lack love- just the romantic type." Maedhros inclined his head towards Samwise, "You love him, don't you?"

Frodo's expression softened. "Of course I do. He's my best friend."

"As I love Fingon," Maedhros said, "We're capable of love, just not the 'usual' type. Your love for Samwise is no lesser than his love for Rosie. It's just a different type."

Frodo was silent for a few minutes more, and Maedhros feared he'd said too much; since he'd left the Halls, he'd only spoken to a select few elves, and his happiness at finding someone else just like him had loosened his tongue. But when the hobbit looked at him again, his face was lit up, and the hurt was gone from his eyes.

"Thank you, for helping me understand," he smiled.

"Anytime," Maedhros responded with his own smile.

Frodo leant back on the bench, turning to face the elf fully. "So, what's your story?"

Maedhros stiffened. "I-"

"Not what happened on Than-whatever, but...when did you realise that you didn't get _the feelings_?"

Maedhros relaxed instantly. "It was shortly after Celegorm was born, we had to attend a fancy dinner party..."

**Author's Note:**

> And so, Maedhros and Frodo end up chatting way into the evening, and Fingon & Samwise are happy to see their friends getting along so well. 
> 
> In case you didn't realise, Maedhros & Frodo are both aro-ace in this. I figured in Middle Earth they don't have a term for it, but I hope the explanation of _not getting the feelings _was enough to imply that.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed this! Comments always welcome! ^-^
> 
> Tomorrow's fic features a certain brave princess!


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